Kevin Kline continues to show his depth as an actor in Michael
Hoffmans prep school drama The Emperors Club,
with a remarkably subtle and textured performance as the teacher
of classics who tries to instill in his young protégés
the importance of understanding ancient history. Unfortunately
the film is not exactly equal to Klines performance; although
its theme is a thought-provoking study on what exactly it means
to succeed or fail as a teacher, its screenplay (by Neil Tolkin,
based on the short story The Palace Thief by Ethan Canin),
teeters on the edge of over-sentimentality, occasionally just
going ahead and falling in. With a style not unlike the 1989 Robin
Williams vehicle Dead Poets Society, it tells the story
of a man so passionate about his subject (in this case, ancient
Greek and Roman culture) that his students, for the most part,
become caught up in it as well; however, in this story one comes
along whose attitude clashes so badly with the teachers,
it begins to disrupt his entire well-ordered universe.

Kline plays Professor William Hundert, who in 1976 is apparently
the most respected member of the faculty at St. Benedicts
Academy for Boysin fact, the film practically makes it look
like hes the only instructor, except for the headmaster
(played by Edward Herrmann) and a Latin professor (Rob Morrow),
neither of whom we ever see in a classroom. Although Prof. Hundert
presumably has more than one class per year, we only see one,
focusing primarily on four youths whose academic achievement puts
them in the running for the schools prestigious Mr. Julius
Caesar award. This honor is granted once each year to the student
who not only gets excellent grades in the classroom, but also
wins a public trivia contest about ancient civilizations. Three
of the boys, Martin Blythe (Paul Franklin Dano), Deepak Mehta
(Rishi Mehta), and Fred Masoudi (Jesse Eisenberg), are all serious
and diligent scholars until the arrival of a new student named
Sedgewick Bell (Emile Hirsch), the spoiled son of a U.S. senator,
whose intellectual brilliance is matched only by his contempt
for authority. Soon Sedgewicks attitudes (not to mention
his love for cigarettes, alcohol, porn mags, and various other
contraband) have rubbed off on his classmates and all the guys
are playing pranks and flouting the rules. Finally, however, after
a revelatory meeting with Sedgewicks father (played in full-blown
Rich Bastard mode by Harris Yulin), Prof. Hundert is able to calm
the boy down by convincing him that he has a shot at the coveted
Caesar title. What happens at the competition, however, has a
staggering impact on Hunderts self-image, his career, and
his outlook on life.

This is one of those movies that, although its supposed
to end on a positive note, has a melancholy, whats-the-use
feel that pervades everything up to about 5 minutes before the
closing credits. The final third of the film takes place in the
present (or rather, 2001), when the students re-convene for a
sort of reunion and are all played by different actors, none of
whom look like they are 25 years older than their former selves.
This final act gives the impression that things are going to be
more positive, but it ends up hammering home the same depressing
points made by the preceding portion, and does so with some truly
bad dialogue and syrupy sentimentality. Still, Klines performance,
like it did in Life As A House,
cuts through the treacle with astounding effectiveness, as if
he is using his technique willfully to defy the writers
ill-advised intentions. It is truly fascinating to watch the subtlety
with which his facial expressions evolve during his conversations
with other characters; he is able to show us the wheels turning
inside his mind with a clarity unmatched by most actors working
today. Good work is also done by the 17-year-old Hirsch, and by
Embeth Davidtz, whose miniscule role seems to exist for the sole
purpose of making sure we understand that Hundert is not gay.

This is obviously not the first story of its kind to hit the
big screen; neither is it the best. But the presence of Kevin
Kline is as much reason to see it as is necessary. Good acting
can cover a multitude of sins, and that is exactly what it does
here. ***½